Tonga's Cabinet has this evening offered striking civil servants a 12.5% rise across the board.

Meeting this afternoon, as a growing and restless crowd gathered nearby at Pangai Si'i, Cabinet was hopeful that their offer would end the 8-days strike.

The Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, Paula Ma'u, told Matangi Tonga at 6 pm that Cabinet had decided for all public servants salaries to go back to the salaries of June 30, and there would be a 12.5% rise across the board. He said that excluded from this decision were the Police, the Prisons and the Tonga Defence Service.

Meanwhile, the crowd of civil servants dispersed as night fell after 6 pm, still waiting for the Cabinet's decision, which had not been not given to them.

Later Radio Tonga reported that an official announcement was to be made by government at 7.30 p.m. on Radio Tonga.